Mays Business School at Texas A&M University offers one of the best programs for students aspiring to launch their own businesses, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company named the school #18 on its list of “Top 25 Graduate Schools for Entrepreneurship of 2018.”

Entrepreneurship is one of the top areas of focus for Mays. “We strive to make it as easy as possible for students to launch their ideas,” said Richard Lester, executive director of the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship at Mays. “We draw from our supporters, alumni, and faculty and staff to provide business start-up acceleration, competitive opportunities, work experiences, and financial support to aspiring entrepreneurs in the Aggie community and across the world.”

The McFerrin Center serves more than 3,000 students and more than 1,000 former students through 27 programs. It aims to enhance entrepreneurial student education by providing training, networking, and assistance to enterprising students, faculty, and alumni.

The Princeton Review tallied its lists of top 25 undergraduate and top 25 graduate schools based on a survey it conducted from June through August 2017. Out of more than 300 schools offering entrepreneurship studies that The Princeton Review surveyed, 38 institutions’ undergraduate and/or graduate programs made the roster of top schools for 2018.

The 60-question survey asked schools to report on levels of their commitment to entrepreneurship studies inside and outside the classroom. More than 40 data points were analyzed for the tally to determine the rankings. Topics included the percentage of faculty, students, alumni actively and successfully involved in entrepreneurial endeavors, the number and reach of mentorship programs, scholarships and grants for
entrepreneurial studies, and the level of support for school-sponsored business plan competitions.

The Princeton Review has reported its lists of top schools for entrepreneurship programs annually since 2006 in partnership with Entrepreneur Media Inc., publisher of Entrepreneur magazine. Entrepreneur posted an online feature story about the lists, and an article on the lists will be published in the magazine’s December issue, available on newsstands Nov. 28.

“These colleges and business schools have superb entrepreneurship programs,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “We highly recommend them to any applicant aspiring to launch a business. Their faculties are truly engaged in entrepreneurism. Their courses are rich with in-class and out-of-class experiential components, and the financial and networking support their students and programs receive via donors and alumni is extraordinary.”

Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, said it publishes the ranking every year “to help entrepreneurs find the best learning-focused environments.” He added: “The list is an excellent resource, and I hope everyone interested in undergraduate or graduate programs spends some time with it. The schools on this list can help prepare students for exciting, entrepreneurial futures.”